On the set of her new ABC TV series "Grand Hotel," as executive producer and sometimes directer, she hired a mostly female production crew.

Toting Santi, as she calls him, is not simply about bonding, she told Parents magazine. It's about exposing him at a tender age to a greater world and social consciousness.

"I feel there’s more pressure to raise a good man today in this world and to make sure he understands equality and feminism," Longoria says. "But it’s not about telling him, it’s about showing him in his everyday life."

"Santi was with me when I went,” she said of the border trip. "He didn’t go into the shelters, but he’s always with me."

Doing her part for women

The "Desperate Housewives" alum who will be star in "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" Aug. 9, said Hollywood tends to view mothers through a certain lens.

"I do think there has to be a normalization within Hollywood to make sure that motherhood is accepted in a wider way," she said. "Many times, you no longer get the sexy roles, or you have to take time off until you’re looking a certain way."

"It helped that Santi has been a dream baby, she said, adding that he's traveled to four continents during the 12 months of his life. "He’s healthy, he’s funny, he’s sweet, he sleeps, he eats — he’s made it easy for us."

Having a child means living in the present and passing on projects that she can't give 100% to, but also keeping an eye on the future, she said.

"The stakes are higher now that I have a child," Longoria said. "I need to make sure I’m doing my part to leave the world a better place — for him and for all the children of our future."